Infosys techie

An Infosys techie who quit his lucrative job to become a farmer; another software engineer who spends his time quizzing when he is not programming ; an engineer who now goes backpacking around the world. These are stories of people who have stepped put of their comfort zones to not-so-comfy but much happier lives. They have also become case studies in Rakesh Godhwani's book, 'Plunge : Reinvention for the New Generation' launched on Tuesday.

"When you stop cribbing , you will discover something . There is a phase of life between 'grihasta' and 'sanyasa' called 'vanaprastha'. This is when people do things for the welfare of people and not just for their sake.

Strangely, this phase of life is disappearing. The plunge is about this period when you do something that gives you and others happiness," said IIIT-B director Prof. S Sadagopa . He recollected that Godhwani had quit his high flying IT job and made a lifestyle change. He joined the IIM-B alumni association , stopped using his car and rode around on a cycle. All for his love of teaching.

"I was a terrible writer. Sometimes I had 57 mistakes on one page. But when you want something, the whole world conspires to make it happen. The same happened to me. A friend had quit his IT job to be a farmer. I was fascinated by the story and experience of sitting at his farmhouse under a glowworm-lit evening. That's how my book began," said Godhwani who then captured several unique stories of people who made a drastic career shift.

IIM-B director Pankaj Chandra said after nearly 5 years of finishing their management course, 15 to 20% alumni become entrepreneurs which shows that many are willing to take risks and seek happiness in offbeat careers.